If the name isn’t awesome enough, Twelve Foot Ninja has taken music as we know it and twisted it into something like you’ve never heard before. From Melbourne, Australia, 12FN is a five piece band that refuses to do anything but stay busy. Silent Machine, their debut album which was released in October of 2013, gained national attention and reached new fans world wide. It quickly became #4 album on Australia’s AIR Chart, which lead them to their first national headlining tour of Australia. Now they are back with their newest album called Outlier, which is set to be released August of 2016. And it kicks major ass.

To anyone who is familiar with 12FN, you would probably agree with me that it is very difficult to pin point their exact genre. Sometimes even explaining their music to people is difficult, they are one of those “You have to listen to understand” bands. From jazz, blues, 60’s
funkadelic, reggae and of course some good ol’ djent riffs, you name it and they can play it (and they play it well). The talent doesn’t just stop at their music and watching any of their music videos is proof of that. In 2013, they obliterated a world record for the most money crowd-funded for a music video and delivered on that promise with the release of their video “Ain’t That A Bitch“. Outlier is also a crowd-funded project, as their fans go above and beyond to support them. These guys put the time and effort into everything that they do, and it seems to be working in their favor.

Consisting of 10 tracks, Outlier did not disappoint me in the slightest bit. Upon listening to it in its entirety, it left me feeling extremely satisfied after waiting nearly 3 years for new material. I would say that the most satisfying part of the album for me is simply the fact that didn’t change their sound one bit. It is the same Twelve Foot Ninja that I fell in love with 3 years ago and for that I am thankful. It’s hard to just pick some tracks that stand out, as they all have something unique about them. Each song has a different feel and vibe, while keeping their heaviness. One favorite of mine off this album is “One Hand Killing” which is on YouTube. You can also check out their single, titled “Invincible,” on YouTube and preorder Outlier today by going to www.pledgemusic.com/twelvefootninja. Make sure to join their mailing list to stay up to date with news, tour announcements and new releases.Review by: James McClellan